Affiliate marketing focus' on the selling of other people's products (for a commission) using their own unique link. There’s no inventory to worry about, little financial risk and more flexibility in the products or niches you pick. MLM brings an additional layer of complexity: people are selling products and then trying to recruit others to sell those products forming a distribution network. Income is based on personal sales and performance of your downline. MLM usually involves a start-up cost, recruitment of the other investors and intense socialization. The affiliate method of growth scales through traffic and content, whereas the MLM one scales through people and leadership.